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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23469952">Old Veterans, Young Blood</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/traveler_spawn/pseuds/traveler_spawn'>traveler_spawn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Destiny (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Osiris being a nosy bastard, Shaxx vs Saint-14 please, three old men talking</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 06:01:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,037</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23469952</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/traveler_spawn/pseuds/traveler_spawn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Devil's Ruin...from the Guardian's POV.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Old Veterans, Young Blood</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>(Have had this in my head for a while-a possible take on the Devil’s Run commentary.  Because literally all we were doing was eavesdropping...  Also, Osiris’ VA is Israeli, and it’s said he actually mutters in Hebrew during CoO, so figured Osiris speaking in Hebrew wasn’t too far off bat.)</p><p>---------</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div class="">
  <p>Despite the sun shining down, the air was still bitterly cold.  Removing her helm, Selene took a deep lungful of air, closing her eyes. Next to her, Ozy hovered over her left shoulder.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“We haven’t been here in a while.”  He said. Selene opened her eyes.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“<em>Da</em>.”  She said softly.  In the distance, the Traveler dominated the skyline, the Last City spreading out beneath the god-orb’s shadow.  A cannon boomed nearby, making the pair look in the direction of the noise. The ruined base was a maze of rusted stairs, ledges, and shipping containers.  Tattered Fallen banners still flapped in the wind, and if one looked hard enough—the broken frames of destroyed Redjacks could still be seen scattered about.  Selene’s comm crackled to life.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>Welcome to Twilight Gap. </strong>Saint boomed in her ear. <strong>The place where Humanity nearly died.</strong></p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>Guardian?</strong> Selene nearly jumped in surprise, her eyes widening.  Osiris sounded puzzled.  <strong>There are no Crucible matches scheduled for the Gap today.</strong></p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“What the hell-“</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>Osiris, what are you doing here?</strong>  Saint asked.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>I saw the Guardian arrive.</strong>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Wait a minute, saw us arrive?”  Ozy repeated. Selene turned around—<em>Moonlight Densetsu</em> was where she’d left it, parked carefully on one of the few stable landing pads nearby.  Ozy had checked the Crucible feeds—Shaxx wasn’t watching, all the matches today were taking place in Old Midtown.  Before she could say anything, Saint reacted.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>You’re spying on her?!</strong>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>I watch all Guardians of stature</strong>.  Osiris answered.  Selene and Ozy stared at each other, the Risen’s mouth opening and closing in disbelief. Feeling outrage start to bubble up in his other half, Ozy was quick to zip over and put a fin to Selene’s lips.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Don’t.  Don’t.”  Arc-colored eyes glared at him.  “Let’s just find these weapon pieces.”  Selene huffed, reaching into her pocket.  The weapon frame she’d recovered in the Sundial was wrapped up in a cloth square.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“I’m talking to Ikora when we get back.”  She muttered, undoing the fabric.  </p>
  <p> </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> ******</p>
  <p> </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Thirty minutes in, the pair had found three ruined Redjack frames on the upper level.  Each one had a matte-black weapon part---matching the piece that Selene had brought back out of the Sundial.  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>The battle that took place against the Fallen that took place here</strong>…  Saint began as Selene started to climb down a staircase.  <strong>It made Titans famous.  Not in a good way.</strong></p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“The fallout between Saladin and Shaxx.”  Ozy murmured.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“That’s something I don’t even dare ask him about.”  Selene answered.  Her status as the first new Iron Lord in centuries, and being Saladin’s Young Wolf aside, the younger Guardian knew that she still could only venture so far with Saladin.  And the one or two times the topic had come up in other conversation, Selene had excused herself as quickly as possible.  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>You say that like the Warlocks and Hunters sat on their hands!  </strong>Selene’s eyes narrowed as Osiris intruded into the comm line once again.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>Get off this line, Osiris!</strong>  Saint demanded.  Selene stepped off the ladder, turning around to go down a hallway.  She thought she’d seen another broken Redjack around a lower corner when she was upstairs.  <strong>I’m showing the Guardian something very important.</strong></p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>Make me</strong>.  Osiris’s tone was dry—but threatening enough that Selene stopped, hand going to the sidearm on her back.  Saint’s reply was booming laughter, enough to make the Warlock’s earpiece vibrate.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>You would not survive that.  But you make me laugh.  You can stay.</strong>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Do I get any input in this?”  Selene grumbled.  Ozy made sure that her mike wasn’t open-the last thing needed was another Selene vs. Osiris profanity-laden exchange.  He was still trying to translate the Hebrew from the last go-round.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“A Saint vs Osiris match would probably have every single Guardian in attendance.”  He commented.  Selene grunted, having reached another ladder, but the Ghost could feel his Risen’s flare of interest.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“I wouldn’t actually mind seeing two Dark Ages Guardians fight.”  She said.  </p>
  <p> </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> *******</p>
  <p> </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> <strong> The fabled Gjallarhorns of legend were constructed from the armor of Guardians who died here.</strong>  Saint’s voice was somber as Selene picked up another weapon part.  <strong>Final deaths, all of them.</strong></p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Yes.”  Selene murmured.  Saladin had told her the story as she’d created her own Gjallarhorn.  It was gone now--molten slag like the rest of her things, thanks to a bomb that had gone off in her quarters during the Red War.  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>What happened here wasn’t your fault.</strong>  Osiris said. Selene’s ears pricked, she could hear undertones of…grief?-yes, that sounded like that, grief and guilt—in the older Warlock’s voice.   <strong>Or mine.</strong></p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>We would have lost if not for Shaxx’s last stand.  With Nkechi and Abdi and Truce.  Liu Feng. Ana.  They all believed in him.</strong>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>He’s more stubborn than you.</strong>  Osiris mused.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>I have never known him to give up.  Ever.  </strong>Saint replied.  Selene paused, trying to get her mental bearings—hadn’t she just come from this way?  <strong>He’s taught me a lot.  </strong></p>
  <p> </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong> *********</strong>
  </p>
  <p> </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>Guardian, whether you wanted it or not…you’ve become the best of us.  Or close to it.  </strong>Ozy watched as Selene’s cheeks started to turn red, and she stuffed the…what was it-oh, nine—the ninth weapon part they’d found into a small bag.  Unaware of his hero’s embarrassment, Saint-14 blissfully continued.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>Without you, there would be no Saint-14.</strong>  Now the Warlock’s ears were turning red.  <strong>The battle of Twilight Gap might have been lost.</strong></p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>Saint…</strong>  Osiris said, his voice dry.  <strong>Your ego knows no bounds.</strong></p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>And you have a fat head, Warlock.</strong>  Saint jabbed back.  Selene clapped a hand to her mouth-the retort—and the <em>irony </em>of Osiris’ statement was making her choke back laughter.  Ozy’s fins were quaking as he tried to suppress his own mirth.  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Listen who’s talking about ego!”  He chirped out.  A muffled giggle escaped from Selene’s hand.  </p>
  <p> </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p> *********</p>
  <p> </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>An hour later, Selene straightened.  This was the last Redjack frame-and now she had a grand total of ten weapon parts to bring back to the City.  With a grimace-she’d slipped on some rocks earlier and hurt her ankle-but it was one of those low-priority injuries that Vanguard Medical preferred that heal on it’s own, instead of a Ghost—Selene turned back towards her Cityhawk.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>What’s all this?</strong> Shaxx’s voice nearly made both Guardian and Ghost jump out of their skins.  <strong>Guardian, there are no sanctioned matches at Twilight Gap right now.</strong></p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>That’s exactly what I was saying!  </strong>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Listen old man, nobody wanted you to stick your beaky nose into their business.”  Selene grumbled-Ozy checking once again—yes thank the Light, Selene’s mike was still off.  Had Osiris heard that, it would have set off a row.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>Osiris?</strong>  Shaxx exclaimed.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>Warlord Shaxx.</strong> Selene blinked-wait a minute.  Had Saint all but purred that statement?  <strong>As I live and breathe.</strong></p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>Saint-14?  I thought you were dead.</strong>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>Brother.</strong>  The Exo’s voice dropped lower, as if he were about to impart some great secret.  <strong>I have always hated you.  </strong>The resulting laughter from both Titans had Selene yanking out her earpiece, wincing as she felt it vibrate inbetween her fingers.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>They’ll be at this for a while, Guardian</strong>.  Osiris’ voice seemed a touch long-suffering, as if he’d dealt with a similar situation many times before.  <strong>Feel free to move about the universe.  I’m sure you have better things to do than listen to this.</strong></p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Bite me.”  Selene suggested.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>Shaxx, the Crucible—what have you done with it?  </strong>Saint asked. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>It’s not the Crucible by which you and I were forged.</strong>  Selene raised an eyebrow as she kept walking, making a mental note to research the Crucible’s origins a bit better when she got back to the City.  <strong>Took years.  But Twilight Gap changed everything.  After that day out there, the Crucible went from a place where we settled our differences, to a place where we bettered ourselves.</strong></p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Wouldn’t he know that?” Ozy asked.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Saint left the City, remember?”  Selene replied.  “His crusades against the Fallen Houses.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>I heard you give out some amazing weapons to your fighters.</strong>  Saint drawled.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>Those weapons are earned.</strong>  Shaxx corrected.  <strong>With blood, sweat, and tears.</strong></p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>Are you sure your fighters are bettering themselves?  Or chasing hardware?</strong>  Saint-14 quipped.  A shout of laughter escaped Selene before she put a hand to her mouth again, muffling giggles.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>Listen; even Guardians need to get paid once in a while</strong>.  Shaxx countered.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“That’s true, and we’re still owned bounty money.”  Ozy grumbled. Saint scoffed.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>When you put it that way, you sound like that sad, lonely rat man who lives downstairs</strong>.  Selene facepalmed.  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Fuck, he saw Drifter?!” She hadn’t been able to explain Gambit-or rather, the Drifter in general to Saint-14 yet.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>The Drifter.  Keep your enemies close, right?</strong>  Ozy blinked, shooting Selene a curious glance.  Shaxx’s voice sounded almost conspiratorial.  <strong>Watch him for us.</strong></p>
  <p> </p>
  <p> </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>--</strong>------</p>
  <p> </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>It shoots bullets, Saint.</strong>  Selene choked back another chortle as she ascended <em>Moonlight</em>’s cargo ramp.  <strong>It’s a gun.</strong>  The two Titans were still talking, seemingly having forgotten about Selene.  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>All the good work you’ve done.  The City is amazing!  The Tower is amazing!  </strong>Saint-14 gushed.  Selene smiled, the Exo’s enthusiasm was contagious.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>Anything I’ve done pales in comparison to what our Guardian has accomplished.</strong>  Shaxx’s praise made Selene fumble-nearly dropping the bag of weapon parts.  Her face went crimson, and she ducked her head as she reached for a nearby compartment.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>I always told you she would return to save us.</strong>  Saint said.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Oh no.”  Selene muttered.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>Still wearing that spinfoil hat I see.</strong>  Shaxx commented.  <strong>The Guardian saved you with Vex tech.  She is not a divine savior.</strong></p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Light, please not that, please not that.”  Selene chanted, pulling off her coat as Ozy made to shut the cargo door.  <em>Please Light.  I get enough of that as it is!</em>  Being called divine in any way made the young Warlock nervous.  She hated praise and adoration, and despite everything—tried her very best to stay as low-key as possible.  <em>Tried </em>being the operative word.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>Wanna bet?</strong>  Saint scoffed.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>Oh, you never change.</strong> Shaxx declared.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>And you still owe me Glimmer.</strong>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Wait.  Wait a minute.”  Ozy snapped to attention, staring at the speaker—Selene had keyed in the band to Moonlight’s comms system and had removed the earpiece.  “How many people owe that Exo money?!”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Seems like Dark Ages Guardians liked gambling too?”  Selene offered.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>In my defense, you were dead.</strong>  Shaxx retorted<strong>.  And I don’t make much as Crucible Handler.</strong>  That remark made both Guardian and Ghost blink, with Selene being the first to speak.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Wait a minute, he doesn’t?” She exclaimed.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>You know…</strong> Saint-14 began.  <strong>When I walk the streets of the City, the children demand I carry them.  I do so. But, I ask them to sing me a song. A song of their people…</strong>  Three eyes widened.  Then there was a scramble in the cockpit; Guardian and Ghost trying to both trigger the Cityhawk’s recording function at the same time.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>No!</strong>  Shaxx’s refusal was strident.  <strong>I refuse.</strong></p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>Then you can pay me.</strong> Saint’s voice was smug.  <strong>A Titan is only as good as his word.</strong></p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“How much money does Shaxx owe him?!”  Selene exclaimed.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>But I don’t know any songs!</strong>  The Warlord protested.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>Make something up!</strong> Saint retorted.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>Oh, let me see.</strong> Ozy gestured-the recording was working!<strong>  Eris hummed a few bars on the Moon.  How did it go? </strong>Selene put both hands to her mouth, eyes wide and sparkling with mirth.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>I’m on the Moon.</strong> The Crucible Handler was off-key, monotone, and a bit hoarse.  <strong>It’s made of cheese.</strong>  Dead silence filled the air for several moments while Ozy stared at the speaker, and Selene started to shake from suppressed laughter.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>That is awful.</strong> Saint’s voice held just a faint touch of horror.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><strong>It’s not my song! Shaxx protested.  It’s Eris’s.</strong>  A pause, as if the second Titan had thought of something.  <strong>…Guardian?</strong>  To that there was no reply, as Selene had collapsed to the ground, muffling her howls of mischievous glee.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>Guardian?  Are you still on this line?</strong>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Save that and hide it away!”  Selene gasped out, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes.  Ozy cackled-already two steps ahead of his Risen.  It wasn’t every day that a lesser solider got blackmail-potentially very juicy blackmail, on a higher-ranking officer…</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <strong>Guardian Selene?</strong>
  </p>
</div>
  </div></div>
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